Government e-Marketplace (GeM) marked seven years of the Womaniya initiative, its flagship programme aimed at strengthening the participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in public procurement. The commemorative event was held at Jeevan Bharti Building, New Delhi.
Seven years on, the impact of the initiative is evident. As of 14 January 2026, more than two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal. Collectively, these enterprises have secured public procurement orders exceeding ₹80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7 per cent of GeM’s total order value,
significantly surpassing the mandated three per cent procurement target for women-owned and women-led enterprises.
Launched on 14 January 2019, Womaniya was conceived to address the limited access of women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to government markets.
By providing a direct, transparent and fully digital interface with government buyers, the initiative eliminated intermediaries and reduced entry barriers that had historically constrained participation.
Over the years, Womaniya has evolved from an access-enabling platform into a national ecosystem of opportunity.
A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between GeM and the Women’s Collective Forum (WCF). The MoU was signed by Additional Chief Executive Officer, GeM, Shri Ajit B. Chavan, and Chief Community Officer, WCF, Ms. Richa Sharma.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), and other Government partners and industry stakeholders, organised the National Conference on Strategic Trade Controls (NCSTC) 2026 in New Delhi.
The Conference provided a platform for discussions on India’s Strategic Trade Control (STC) framework, including policies and procedures governing the export of dual-use and sensitive goods, technologies, software, materials and equipment regulated under the SCOMET framework.
It also enabled the exchange of international experiences and practices related to strategic trade controls. NCSTC 2026 focused on enhancing awareness, compliance and coordination among Government, industry, academia, research institutions and international stakeholders, while facilitating legitimate high-technology trade and addressing proliferation risks.
Department of Posts achieved a significant milestone with the successful booking of its first online order through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) on January 13, 2026, acting in the capacity of a Logistics Service Provider (LSP). The consignment was successfully delivered on January 15, 2026.
The inaugural order, placed by UdyamWell, marks an important step in the Department’s efforts to provide digitally enabled and interoperable logistics solutions. UdyamWell, an ONDC-enabled initiative, is focused on supporting Bharatpreneurs by offering comprehensive services to artisans, farmers, and other rural entrepreneurs.
The Department of Posts’ integration with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) enables sellers on ONDC-enabled buyer applications to select the Department of Posts for parcel pickup, booking, transmission, and delivery through its extensive nationwide postal network.
A high-level Indian delegation led by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; & Panchayati Raj Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, concluded a successful visit to Israel during 13–15 January 2026 to participate in the Second Global Summit on “Blue Food Security: Sea the Future 2026”, held in Eilat, Israel.
This Joint Declaration sets out a comprehensive framework for cooperation across multiple areas of mutual interest. The key areas of collaboration include joint research and development in advanced aquaculture technologies such as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), biofloc, cage culture, aquaponics, and aquarium systems including oceanarium,
expertise in breeding high-yield species and pathogen-free seed improvement strategies; and broodstock development. Besides, the cooperation also includes genetic improvement programs, mariculture including seaweed cultivation, and water management in aquaculture through Israeli water-saving technologies.
In addition, the Declaration promotes sustainable and responsible fishing practices to conserve marine resources, reduce environmental impacts, and ensure long-term resilience of fisheries. This includes cooperation in technology-based fisheries monitoring and data-collection systems to enable evidence-based management, transparency, and traceability,
while addressing the socio-economic needs of fishing communities. Capacity building will be a major focus, with initiatives in deep-sea fishing, vessel design and development, coastal aquaculture, and marine resource conservation through technology and innovation.
NITI Aayog released a comprehensive report titled “Achieving Efficiencies in MSME Sector through Convergence of Schemes”, outlining a strategic roadmap to strengthen the effectiveness of government support for India’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The government has launched the Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima for Central Government Health Scheme, or CGHS, beneficiaries. This optional health insurance plan will be available as a retail product for all CGHS beneficiaries, the finance ministry noted in a statement.
The policy provides indemnity-based in-patient hospitalisation coverage within India, with sum insured options of ₹10 lakh or ₹20 lakh.
The product will have a co-payment component allowing beneficiaries to choose between 70:30 or 50:50 co-sharing between the insurance company and subscribers, the finance ministry stated, adding that as compared to a regular policy,
adding that as compared to a regular policy, it will be available at a discount of 28% and 42% for 70:30 and 50:50 premium co-sharing.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India on January 13, 2026 marked the culmination of “Inspiring Innovators-Naye Bharat Ki Nayi Pehchaaan”, a skilling initiative developed in collaboration with the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity.
Implemented in partnership with Graphiti Studios, the initiative brings together India’s innovation and creative ecosystems to promote socially relevant innovation through storytelling and hands-on skilling, said the Ministry.
The initiative showcases the contributions of eight Indian startups identified by the Office of the PSA for their work in driving social-impact innovation. They are featured through eight short animated films created by students from eight universities across India.
Karnataka Bank has enabled the facility for payment of the Government of Karnataka’s Khajane-2 e-receipts through its Internet Banking platform.
A release here said the initiative reaffirms the bank’s commitment to offering convenient, secure, and value-added digital services to meet the evolving needs of its customers.
The bank has received the necessary authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) along with approval from the Department of Treasuries, Government of Karnataka, to collect State government revenue receipts through the Khajane-2 Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS).
Following the successful technical integration with RBI’s e-Kuber system and the Khajane-2 platform, customers can seamlessly make payments towards taxes and fees of various State government departments through Internet Banking.
The World Bank has raised India's GDP growth forecast to 7.2 per cent for the current fiscal, up by 0.9 percentage points from its June projections, on the back of robust domestic demand and tax reforms.
In its flagship report "Global Economic Prospects", the World Bank also said growth in India is projected to slow to 6.5 per cent in 2026-27.
The projection is based on the assumption that the 50-per cent import tariffs by the US remain in place throughout the forecast horizon.
The US accounts for about 12 per cent of India's merchandise exports.
On the rupee, the World Bank said India's currency has depreciated since May amid capital outflows driven by higher US tariffs and heightened trade-related uncertainty.
The nation will observe the 10th Defence Forces Veterans’ Day on January 14, 2026, paying tribute to the valour, sacrifices and dedicated service of the veterans who have served the nation with distinction. A series of events and outreach programmes will be organised across the country to mark the day.
The day will be commemorated across the country at 34 Rajya Sainik Boards in States & UTs and various locations pan-India by 434 Zila Sainik Boards. These events will include veterans’ rallies, establishment of grievance redressal counters and facilitation help desks by System for Pension Administration - Raksha (SPARSH), the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS),
and the Record Offices of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force to help address concerns of veterans and their dependents. Employment agencies, defence and Government Welfare Organisations & Banks will also set up stalls to provide information and assistance to veterans & their families.
The Defence Forces Veterans’ Day is commemorated on 14th January every year to honour the legacy and yeoman service of Field Marshal KM Cariappa, OBE, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, who retired on this day in 1953.
Banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) should put a fully automated complaints management system with access to the Internal Ombudsman (IO) and Deputy Internal Ombudsman (DIO), and all unresolved grievances should be auto-escalated to the office of the IO for review, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.
Canara Bank will use NPCI BHIM Services’ (NBSL) bank plugins to offer Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services on its banking payments app, Canara ai1Pe.
This comes at a time when the bank has partnered with NBSL for integrating the latest UPI payments launches within the banking app.
The partnership will allow the bank to host the latest feature upgrades and UPI functionalities adopted by the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app.
Canara is the first bank to adopt the approach from NBSL.
NBSL said it is in discussions with more banks to expand their payments capabilities.
In 2025, BHIM presented a proof of concept for BHIM Vishwas, allowing it to provide banks with its technology stack.
The idea is that payments and related capabilities can be white-labelled for the bank based on its own technology stack, while banks can focus on their core banking features.
NBSL was spun off as NPCI’s wholly owned subsidiary in 2024. Developed by NPCI, BHIM was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016.
